The Violation: Obstructing a fellow passenger from taking a load off and enjoying the ride in “ergonomic,” polyester-upholstered discomfort. (If you’ve ever ridden a train, you know that, despite the risk of reclining against unidentified stains, sitting is actually better than standing in the aisle and risking errant elbows, briefcases, and the occasional balance-impaired rider pinballing off of fellow standees.)

Criminal Profile-the likely perpetrators:

The Sleeper-This seat thief takes the stealthy approach. Lolling against the window and frequently obscured by an artfully draped hoodie, the sleeper engineers a passive-aggressive land-grab by feigning slumber and slowly relaxing portions of the body into the neighboring seat. The combination of somnolent appearance and cotton-blend shroud make this violator difficult to oust, though some may be receptive to the firm application of elbow pressure and feigned coughing.

The Encumbered Commuter-This offender mistakenly believes that briefcases and tote bags are tickets to extra personal space. Usually seated on the outside, with the privileged leather goods accorded a window view, the encumbered commuter is most pernicious during rush-hour (at which time a convenient hearing disability is likely to emerge). Immune even to obtrusive hovering, this boor must be loudly and firmly advised of the error of his or her ways. Though it may be tempting to the urban etiquette enforcer, employing a rolled-up newspaper to speed things along is inadvisable.

The Jet-setting Jerk-A subspecies of the encumbered commuter,the jet-setting jerk is in transit to or from the airport and is invariably accompanied by at least one suitcase capable of containing an adult human. Using the monstrous dimensions and cumbersome nature of his/her luggage to frighten off foot-sore riders, this offender is, once situated, nearly impossible to evict.

* * *

Like any environment, the asphalt jungle has its own standards of behavior. These guidelines make everyone’s passage through the tangle of byways and shared spaces that unite a city more pleasant and efficient.

We’ve all, on occasion, colored outside the lines you might say….dashed into traffic as the light turned green, shouldered through a crowd a little too energetically, shouted into a staticky phone on the train. The universality of such slip-ups makes any attempt to articulate the unspoken code of urban conduct an exercise in hypocrisy. Be that as it may, I will be risking the structural integrity of my glass house by chucking a few stones at the most irritating of these transgressions in an occasional series on city manners.

I invite you to share your own suggestions and pet peeves in the comments field.